Women's Retreat- #1-The Joy of the Lord is my Strength-

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

His Word

Counting Gifts-Ann Voskamp

Visual Prayer- Sybil MacBeth

Bible Journaling- Illustrated Faith

 The Joy of the Lord is your strength. 

Nehemiah 8:10

All is Grace

Morning breaks over 

the Myrtle Beach coastline

Processing time

Creating- 

because our creator God

 only creates creative people.

Retreat facilitator Connie Denninger (Left)

with long- time friend Joan Wilson

Those attending the retreat gathered from:

 Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana

The retreat was planned and sponsored by

 Messiah Lutheran Church

 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sally Beck- Central Region

Maybe this devotional

 is an offering at your church

 this Lenten season for personal reading.

This particular one features the drawings

 of artist- Sally Beck.

Below are some of Sally's vivid images 

that she shares for

your Lenten reflection time.

Sally Beck

Sally had a lovely job as 

an illustrator and art editor for 

Creative Communications for the Parish

 in St. Louis. 

In fact, it was perhaps the 

best job in the world,

 one in which she could happily

 use her art to express her faith.

 For her, seeing and putting something down

 on paper helps her figure out the world, 

(something that people presently doing 

Bible journaling may also experience). 

She and her family have lived on both coasts, 

in the middle and now in Williamsburg, VA. 

She and her husband, Gordon,

 have three children 

and three delightful grandchildren.

From time to time we will be sharing 

on this blog the work of artist Sally Beck.

Judy Pask- Israel Reflections

Sunrise over Jerusalem------ photo by Judy Pask

New Insights:  Actually experiencing the geography, light/weather, people, smells, colors and archeological discoveries of Israel brings new insights to reading and hearing Scripture.  A recent discovery of a 1^st century Jewish ritual bath in the village of Ein Karem verified that Jews lived there and is probably the birthplace of John the Baptist….so Mary’s visit to Elizabeth means she traveled about 80 miles and back to Nazareth and then again made almost the same trip when very pregnant to nearby Bethlehem!  Jesus told his disciplines to wait and watch in the Garden of Gethsemane while he prayed….Jesus knew what was going to happen and that the soldiers  crossing the valley below the garden with torches would be very visible in the darkness. Riding a boat in the sea of Galilee you can feel and see the changes in the wind which can create big waves. I love hearing the lessons read in church and having a photographic picture in my mind of the landscape where the event happened! It becomes very real.

Bible Study Helps: My husband and I read Walking the Road to Bethlehem Your Journey to Christmas by Adam Hamilton during Advent and then traveled the same roads as the Holy Family.  I’ve read Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus (Wayne Stiles) twice, before and after our trip, and have found my experiences in the Holy Land are adding to my understanding/enjoyment of the current Lenten devotions, Love’s Greatest Sacrifice from the Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Joy:  It was a joy to share this pilgrimage with not only my husband, but five other members of our extended family!

Judy is a retired academic librarian, 

member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mechanicsville,VA. , 

married to a retired LCMS pastor.

Waters of Grace

Rainbow over Jericho-

God's sign tied to water

 that brings the hope of His promise.

Waters of Grace

Tune: Dunstan

Look to the sun, thru’ waters of grace,

See The Lord’s pledge to the whole race

In vivid hues for me, for you,

His Word, His peace is true.

Look to the Son, thru’ waters of grace.

Salvation’s paid for the whole race.

Life is renew’d, for me for you.

His Word, His peace is true.

God looks at you, thru’ waters of grace,

And then prepares a heav’nly place.

For Christ’s own blood has ransomed you.

His Word, His peace is true.

Look to the world, thru’ waters of grace,

Your neighbor see in ev’ry face.

Let God’s love shine to all thru’ you,

His Word, His peace is true.

This hymn teaches with words and memories of Bible stories.

 It first compares the cleansing flood and the waters of baptism. 

The next comparison is between the promise never again 

to destroy the earth and the promise

 not to condemn the forgiven soul. 

Our look to our Sun of Righteousness (the very Son of God)

 is compared to the saving look

 to the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness.

 Finally, we are to compare the loving look that God bends to us

 with our own views of our neighbors.

 All of this plays against the visual picture 

of the beauty displayed when sunlight, 

filtered through rain clouds, 

is bent into a rain bow and the spiritual beauty

 in which we are clothed by the Son

 as He shines through the waters of grace.

© Natalie Grace, August, 1999

Thank you to Natalie Grace Hartwig

for sharing her words of hope blessing.